Another major medical association has broke from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is now recommending COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said "pregnant women have historically been at an increased risk of severe disease" and therefore clinicians should recommend that their pregnant patients receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine or booster.
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"While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently removed its recommendation that pregnant and lactating individuals receive updated COVID-19 vaccines, ACOG’s recommendations have not changed," an updated practice advisory on their website states. "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues to recommend the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines in individuals contemplating pregnancy and in pregnant, recently pregnant, and lactating individuals."
The updated guidance comes after the American Academy of Pediatrics last week also broke from the CDC, and revised its childhood immunization schedule to recommend that kids ages 6 to 23 months should also be vaccinated for COVID-19. For decades, the AAP’s vaccine schedule has followed recommendations from the CDC.
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In May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC was removing COVID-19 vaccinations from the list of recommended vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women. Prior to Kennedy's announcement, an annual COVID-19 vaccine was recommended for nearly everyone over six months old.
The CDC's vaccine recommendations differ slightly from those of the World Health Organization. The WHO does not recommend annual shots for healthy individuals under age 50, unless they have not been previously vaccinated against COVID-19. The WHO, however, recommends that pregnant women receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine during each pregnancy.
